Cosmopolitan Port Douglas

Spend some time exploring Port Douglas and you’ll find you can easily forget you are in Far North Queensland, thousands of miles from any capital city.

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First there are the excellent restaurants- there are over 50, many offering as good a menu as you’ll find in many capital city restaurants. Seafood has always been a specialty and continues to be so. However more and more restaurants are also taking full advantage of the locally grown produce.

Then there’s the shopping. There’s the full gambit, from laid back markets to great boutiques selling everything from Indigenous artwork to top European and Australian fashion labels.

Port Douglas’ popularity with well heeled international and domestic travellers has played a major role in developing the high quality shops and restaurants on offer. Fortunately the attractions which first brought tourists to the area are just as appealing and, thanks to the explosion of visitor numbers, easier to explore than ever before.

Port Douglas is the nearest mainland town to the Great Barrier Reef while the nearby lush green coastal strip of the Daintree/Cape Tribulation region is home to some of the oldest forests in the world.

As a result the range of activities available are endless. There’s a reef tour to suit every style and budget, whether you want to snorkel or dive, or see the reef by glass bottom or semi-submersible boat. 

Fishing choices include game fishing on the reef and sports fishing in local estuaries and rivers. In Port Douglas itself there are numerous beach water sports, para flying and jet skiing.

Several companies provide tours into the rainforest, taking in the magnificent gorges and waterfalls, wildlife and Aboriginal cultural experiences on offer in the parks. Whatever option you choose, you know at the end of the day you’ll return to a picturesque community with the comforts of a large city.